Subs vs Dubs

It's the question that started a thousand flame wars. The anime equivalent of comicdom's Hal vs Kyle, the debate on whether anime is better viewed in Japanese with subtitles or dubbed over in English never fails to tear the fandom asunder.

Now, the obvious cop out answer would be that it's a matter of personal preference.  It sounds like a cheap case of fence straddling, but it isn't wrong.

I, myself, generally prefer watching anime with subtitles, but that isn't to say that there aren't some superior dubs.  For example, I vastly prefer the dubbed version of Dragonball Z to the original. 

There are quite a few factors that come into play when determining which version you prefer.  If you get accustomed to hearing a certain voice coming out of a character's mouth, trying to watch it the alternate way will always sound weird no matter which side you stand on.  For instance, I've only heard the dubbed version of Yu Yu Hakusho, so were I to try and watch it subbed, I have no doubt that the characters would sound weird to me.

One could also argue that a person's preference or distaste for subtitled anime is tied to his or her like or dislike of subtitles as a whole.  If subtitles annoy you when watching movies or television in general, it stands to reason that you're not going to like it when watching anime. 

Often, when people defend subtitles, they claim that the voice acting is superior.  The counter-argument is that you can't say that, as most American anime viewers don't speak Japanese and, as such, are just judging it by how it sounds.  This argument has some merit, but you have to wonder, if a character sounds more natural and in character, even in a foreign language, isn't that a testament to the original voice actor's ability? 

That being said, watching anime with subtitles doesn't give you reason to act superior.  It's true, there are some terrible dubs out there, but even the dub fans call those instances out when they occur.

It's actually a wonder that this fight is still going on.  Anime DVDs, whether they be individual 3 episode discs or full series box sets include both subtitled and dubbed versions of each episode.  So no matter your preference, you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.  Besides, it's kind of a stupid thing to fight over.  Rather than nitpicking and bickering with each other, anime fans should come together and enjoy the medium in all it's glory.  English or Japanese, it doesn't matter, just sit back and enjoy some anime.